Since we just finished splashing around with Ariel, I thought that today’s exploration should bring us back to dry land while we continue to enjoy the classic stylings of Fantasyland. We’re going to backtrack a little, go back through the gate to Belle’s town, and return to the original stretch of Fantasyland. Though we aren’t visiting an original attraction, it is classic enough to seem like it should have always been there. It also happens to be the very first attraction that my little one chose to ride (and our first after PeopleMover). I present to you…The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
It may seem like this is a “baby” ride, but I am not in the least kidding when I tell you that I would happily ride this one even if the little was having her Tutu Fun Night. I love Winnie the Pooh and of course the idea of stepping into a book and playing is the stuff of dreams. I get to experience both with this ride. For Avalon, the ride had particular meaning because her nursery was classic Pooh and the first stuffed animal she really bonded with was a classic Piglet. She brought him everywhere with her. My best friend for a considerable part of my life may also have been called Tigger. Winnie the Pooh runs deep.
You’ll know that you’ve gotten to the Hundred Acre Wood when you find Mr. Sanderz house. Depending on the day, little ones (and possibly big ones…I don’t judge) can go inside the house and explore a bit. Even if you don’t get to go inside, check out the bark carefully. You’ll find a familiar mouse head in a few places. Once beyond the house, you’ll enter an amazingly themed queue. Help Rabbit with his garden — but keep your eye out for Gopher! A bit further down the line you can meet some of the swarm that have made Pooh’s favorite treat and help them get along their way. Get further and you’ll find the best part of the queue — the honey itself. Walls appear to drip with honey, and they aren’t just to look at. Reach out and touch it and you’ll see the honey respond to you. Swipe it away and reveal some familiar friends. You might find yourself stuck at this point because it’s just so much fun. But keep it moving because you’re almost at the ride.
Once you’ve gotten through the queue, a delightfully dressed Cast Member will ask how many in your group to determine how many hunny pots you’re going to need. That’s right. Hunny Pots. You are going to get to climb aboard Pooh’s favorite household vessel and go on an adventure. There are several different colors of pots. We are still on a quest to get the elusive pink pot. Maybe it will happen on our upcoming trip.
Settle into your hunny pot and you are whisked away into the classic tale of Winnie-the-Pooh. Each scene unfolds like a section of the book — and you even get to see giant versions of the pages at the beginning and end of the ride. Look closely during the scene in Owl’s house to get a glimpse of a hidden treasure. This ride sits where Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride once sat. On one of the papers in Owl’s house you can catch a picture of Owl and Mr. Toad standing with their arms around each other and Mr. Toad handing off the deed to the spot. **Tear**
In your adventure through the pages of the book you will get to bounce along with Tigger, get blown around by a storm with Kanga and Roo, and experience Pooh’s crazy dream. My very favorite part of the ride happens when you slip into a nighttime rain shower and get to see the droplets falling around you. Look into the troughs along the sides and watch them create ripples and the milk bottles bounce around. It’s beautiful and very calming.
The end of the ride brings the celebration of the party that Christopher Robin threw for all of his hero friends, and the pages of the book usher you back out of the Hundred Acre Wood and into the real world.
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Taryn was born and raised, and still lives in Richmond, Virginia. Neither she nor her husband ever had the opportunity to visit Walt Disney World when they were children, but when their daughter Avalon came along, they decided she was not going to follow in their footsteps. They brought Avalon for the first time when she was 3 and have been hooked ever since. Now along with Taryn’s mother and equally Disney-loving older brother, they go “home” at least once a year, and by the time she is staring longingly at Cinderella Castle from the ferry on their last night, Taryn is well on her way to planning the next trip. As a group consisting of two adults with Asperger’s, including one who is also vegan, a very accommodating husband, an only child, a senior, and a service dog, they are a pretty special family, but Taryn is excited to show that the World really is The Most Magical Place on Earth and that there is a place there for everyone. When she isn’t thinking about her next Disney adventure and trying to come up with a Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party costume that will beat her Oozma Kappa nerd look, she is a professional blogger and novelist, but Taryn also likes to indulge her Disney passion on her Etsy shop It’s Better in Vinyl.
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