Goodbye Mr. Toad

I miss Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. I was part of the Save the Toad movement from the mid-90s. I enjoyed Toad because it reminded me of when I was very little, and my visits to Disney World back in the days of my youth. Now that it's gone, I guess I don't miss it as much as I used to. The ride that booted Toad out of its residence in Fantasyland is The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

I always thought it would be a good idea to make a new area in Walt Disney World, like Discovery Island or something and house some of the fallen favorites such as Mr. Toad and the theme could be like the island of rejects, sort of like the island of misfit toys from Rudolph. There we can have Mr. Toad, World of Motion, Horizons or Magic Journeys.

Anyway, the Pooh ride is not such a bad replacement. Children, who visit the park love this attraction, they can't get enough of Pooh and his friends, Piglet, Tigger, Owl and Roo to name a few.


Get Your Fast Pass and Wait

The FASTPASS was introduced at Walt Disney World in 1999, and it was a stroke of genius. Other theme parks adopted a version of their own FASTPASS, in some cases they would even charge you for it. At Walt Disney World the FASTPASS is free of course, so no worries.

Just because you acquired your FASTPASS, does not mean you may not have a long wait, especially in the busy seasons. Usually on the crowded days, you may have about an hour to ninety minute wait on the regular lines, and on the FASTPASS line about a half hour to maybe forty minutes. But on those less crowded days, maybe just five to ten minutes on the FASTPASS lane, and a half hour to forty minutes on the regular line. This is just one of those Disney attractions that really generate a lot of guests no matter what time of year it is.


The Ride

As you approach the front of the line, you see that you will be traveling in a honey pot, which fits about four to six people depending on the size of the little ones riding on with you. It's most comfortable with two in the front and two in the back.

As you enter the interior, you are immediately inside the storybook of Winnie the Pooh. You view a tremendous storybook in front of you, which starts off the story. It's a hot blustery day, and you do feel a hot wind blowing around you. The story is hard to make out as the audio is just plain awful. It sounds like a mish mash mess of sound effects, narration and dialog run through an echo machine and then through a tin can.

You travel through one of the tree homes in your honey pot and you come across Owl up near the ceiling, Kanga and Roo and Piglet getting ready for the coming rainstorm. As you venture through the forest, you are surprised by Tigger who pops up out from behind the bushes. You "bounce" along with Tigger in your honey pot. The kids love this part, and it is cute and fun for the adults too.

The music from the ride includes songs like The Rain, Rain, Rain Came Down, Down, Down, The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers, Hempfalumps and Woozles and the ride's title theme song, The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh. Although the audio is hardly up to snuff, the swirling melodies complete the ambiance of the ride.

Winnie the Pooh is off asleep in a corner, and you enter his nightmare that is filled with Hempfalumps and Woozles who blow rings of smoke at you and just get silly in general. In the last scene of the attraction, you can see a small picture on the wall of Mr. Toad giving the deed to the property to Owl, I suppose to show that there is no ill will.


Get Out Your Wallets

Yes, as you exit your honeypot and walk down the green ramp, you are entering the Winnie The Pooh store called Pooh’s Thotful Shop. Now, you're probably with your young'uns, and after just witnessing Pooh floating in the sky with a big blue balloon, you know that they'll want a token or twenty to remind them of the experience they just had. The shop sells clothing, toys and trinkets mostly in the Winnie The Pooh theme.


Disney Hints

Here is the area where I will throw in a little Disney secret that I have picked up from going so much. There are really no secrets associated with the Pooh ride that I have come across. My only advice is to obtain a FASTPASS and come back later. The ride lasts just under four minutes, and it is not worth an hour or more wait to experience it. Even when the FASTPASS line is a half hour, it's still a bargain, which just means that the regular line is way too long.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Some More Disney-Related Epinions From Scapp70~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Music:

Disney’s Music From the Park
Disney’s Greatest - Volume One
Classic Disney Volume One
Classic Disney Volume Two
Classic Disney Volume Three
Classic Disney Volume Four
Classic Disney Volume Five


The Parks:

Soarin’
Haunted Mansion
Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside
Families First Vacation Homes


The Books:

The Haunted Mansion – From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies
Popping Up Around Walt Disney World


The Movies

Scapp70’s Top 10 Favorite Disney Animated Movies
Toy Story (3-Disc Ultimate Toy Box DVD Set


Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Sep - Nov