New Fantasyland Dueling Dumbo Photos
New Fantasyland Expansion in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is now completed, with Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid, Maurice’s Cottage, and Be Our Guest Restaurant all open! We thought it would be a good time to look back at the cornerstone of Phase I of the New Fantasyland Expansion, the Dueling Dumbo spinners!
Admittedly, Dumbo has never been a “Must Do” attraction for us. Not even close. We don’t have kids, don’t like waiting in long, hot lines for short attractions, and really didn’t see the appeal of such a simple attraction. The view of Cinderella Castle at night was pretty special, so if the lines were short at night, we’d consider taking a spin, but it was not uncommon for us to skip Dumbo on multiple consecutive trips. While Dumbo still is not a must do for us, it’s moved up quite a few slots. The nighttime ambiance of the Dueling Dumbos, with their great lighting and water features, have a ton of kinetic energy, and make for some really fun photos. The attraction substance is unchanged, so it’s not that much of an upgrade, but it’s still a nice improvement on a Magic Kingdom staple.
Plus, there’s not a whole lot that could have been done with this iconic attraction to really bring it into the 21st century. It will always be relatively simplistic, and perhaps that is part of the charm (note: this same charm can NOT be found in the Magic Carpets of Aladdin; there’s no history there, and the Carpets are not a rite of passage–they’re an eyesore, plain and simple). The new location and kinetic features don’t come without a cost: Dumbo now does not offer beautiful views of Cinderella Castle. While I feel that the overall experience is a net improvement, and I don’t mind hiding the spinner off in the corner, when it comes to the experience itself, that great view of Cinderella Castle played a big part.
Now, for some photos that show a big part of why we like spending time in this part of New Fantasyland…PRETTY LIGHTS!
What do you think of New Fantasyland so far? Excited to experience it? Share your thoughts in the comments!
As always, we are always grateful when you share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc., with your friends to help spread the word about DisneyTouristBlog.com! Please use the social buttons on the top or bottom of this page to share!
When capturing photos while on the ride, are you using a monopod? I often wonder how you’re able to blur the background so much while having such crispness on the ride vehicles.
I brace the camera against some part of the ride vehicle. Even then, I end up with a lot of blurry photos and maybe a couple of keepers.
Love the first few shots (though I like them all). Can’t wait to see the new Dumbo ride in about 10 days. Thanks for posting the pics.
I keep a smallish microfiber cloth in my camera bag for lens cleaning. Periodically, I run it through the washing machine by itself, and then through the dryer. Make sure you don’t use any fabric softener in either stage. Get some unsuspecting, gullible person (my seven-year-old son is my usual victim) to get it out of the dryer just in case a static shock is waiting. I sweat waaay too much to think of using my shirt. And I was thinking the same thing listening to the podcast — the glass PROBABLY won’t get scratched, but the coatings might, and I’d rather not chance it. And you just might get some tiny sand particles on your shirt. Sand is often quartz, which might be hard enough to scratch glass.
I’ve noticed my UWA seems especially prone to catching gunk (or maybe it is goop — not sure which is the proper technical term) that apparently comes from the aether, and it used to ruin lots of my night photos because the gunk caught the light and created lens flare galore.
Great job on Dumbo — they’ve certainly made it into eye candy at night! I especially like the next-to-last frame. I always get a kick out of how these long exposures make such tame rides as this look like insane thrill rides.
Finally, I don’t think the Magic Carpets are ugly, per se, but they do create a bit of a bottleneck. But on our last trip, we got off the Jungle Cruise with my two-year-old son. He saw the Magic Carpets in motion and was captivated. “Oooh — beds!” he exclaimed. He had to ride it and he LOVED it. It’s a small price to pay for a sweet little boy’s laugh. And I’ll save my own enmity for the biggest waste of space in the park — the Tomorrowland Speedway. Huge, totally doesn’t fit the theme of the land (much worse than any other attraction in the regard), nothing to see, and isn’t even a particularly good example of a ride of that type. Even using the word “speed” in the name is a cruel hoax!
Perhaps I should rethink the whole “wiping my lens on my shirt” thing. I’ve heard from a couple people that it’s actually a pretty bad idea because of sand. Now, I don’t know how you all are getting sand on your shirts in the first place, 😉 but perhaps I should err on the side of caution!
Great shots!! I especially love the last couple pictures. Such a neat perspective with the long exposure. Were those with the new 14-24mm?
Oh and I almost forgot to mention. Don’t clean your lenses with your shirt. It wont scratch the glass but it is hard on the coatings. (atleast that is what I have been told) LOL