Dumbo the Flying Elephant was an opening day attraction at both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom and can now be found in every Disney park around the world. This classic attraction continues to be immensely popular, so here are 4 fun facts about the Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride in Magic Kingdom!

1. Pink Elephants

The original concept for the Dumbo ride was based on Dumbo’s hallucinations of “Pink Elephants on Parade” and was therefore meant to feature those pink elephants. However, another imagineer pointed out that children may prefer flying with Dumbo himself, hence the attraction that we know now. This also explains why there are multiple Dumbos on the ride – in the original concept, those were all pink elephants, which aligned with the hallucination scene!

2. What’s Timothy Holding?

Timothy Mouse can be found in the center of each Dumbo attraction, conducting the elephants as they fly. He originally was holding a small whip, but this was later changed to a magic feather in order to remove connotations of animal cruelty.

3. The President Who Refused

When President Harry S. Truman visited Disneyland, he refused to ride Dumbo because elephants are a symbol of the Republican party, and he was a Democrat. Although it’s said that he was being playful, he ultimately wanted to avoid photos being taken of him with the elephant!

4. The Lone Spinner

Dumbo is one of the few attractions found in all Disney parks, but Magic Kingdom is the only one that has the two “dueling” Dumbo ride systems. The second, newer ride is also the only spinner attraction in any Disney park in the world that moves clockwise, which was done to give the illusion that those Dumbos were “dueling” with the others!

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